Statues - Hither & Thither

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Victoria Embankment Gardens (WC2)
(Whitehall Garden, Ministry of Defence section)

Charles George Gordon

London 1833 - Khartoum, Sudan, 1885
also known as Chinese Gordon, Gordon Pasha, and Gordon of Khartoum, was a British army officer and administrator
(Wikipedia)

Hamo Thornycroft
1888

Description

Bronze statue of Gordon in the undress uniform of a field officer, standing in an attitude of meditation, his left foot on a broken mortar. His left arm is crossed over the waist, and the hand, holding a Bible, supports the elbow of the right arm. It stands on a plinth with two bronze relief plates on the left and right sides, showing the four virtues (left) FORTITVDE FAITH , and (right) CHARITY JVSTICE respectively. Fortitude has a shield with the text RIGHT FEARS NO MIGHT. Between the foliated frieze at the top of the plinth are banderoles with the names SOUDAN KHARTOUM - GRAVESEND EQUATOR - CRIMEA 1855 CHINA 1864 - QUINSAN SOOCHOW

London - Charles George Gordon

Inscription(s)

CHARLES G. GORDON C.B.
major-gen. royal engineers

killed at khartovm
xxvi janvary
mdccclxxxv

Signature

(statue) hamo thornycroft ara 1887
(plinth) hamo thornycroft ra Sc 1888
(relief right) hamo thornycroft 18--

Annotation

Unveiled 16 October 1888 in Trafalgar Square. The pedestal was inspired by that of Le Sueur's Charles I near that location. Removed in 1943 for the temporary display of a Lancaster bomber and re-erected in Victoria Embankment Gardens in 1953.

Sculptor

Sir William Hamo Thornycroft (London 1850 - 1925), British sculptor, son of Thomas Thornycroft (Wikipedia).

Sources & Information

Wikipedia, List of public art in the City of Westminster.
Bob Speel, London sculpture.
The Victorian Web, General Charles Gordon Memorial.
George L. Gomme, Return of outdoor memorials in London (London: City Council, 1910) (through Internet Archive).
John Blackwood, London's Immortals: The Complete Outdoor Commemorative Statues (London: Savoy, 1989), p. 268-269.
Andrew Kershman, London's Monuments (London: Metro Publ., 2013), p. 140.
Peter Matthews, London's Statues and Monuments (Botley: Shire, 2012), p. 46-47.

Locatie (N 51°30'16" - W 0°7'25") (Satellite view: Google Maps)

Item Code: gblo058; Photograph: 3 August 2014
Of each statue we made photos from various angles and also detail photos of the various texts.
If you want to use photos, please contact us via the contact form (in Dutch, English or German).
© Website and photos: René & Peter van der Krogt

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